Kiddie Capers
by Dragon Claw92
Summary: Very late gift-fic for Mighty Dreamfinder - What happens when Jaller, Takua, Hahli, Matoro, and Kongu, get a craving for baked goodies? Well, you're about to find out.


Being children is a phase that all people must go through. Some easily grow through it as peaceful and personable children. Others grow through childhood with all the grace and dignity of a drunken kikanalo. But regardless of how a child gets to the next stage in their life, there is always room for one more game, one last joke, and one last giggle.

However.

Whether or not the adults near them have the patience to put up with it is an entirely different matter. Some handle it with a smile and mere shake of their head from time to time. Others grow to master the 'death glare' whenever someone even mentions the antics of whatever happened the previous weekend. And yet, in spite of the sighs, groans, and general disgruntlement a child can cause, adults always seem to be able to just let it go and accept that children will be children.

The real challenge is predicting the antics of a particularly mischievous set of eight-to-ten year olds. And it was this challenge that faced Turaga Matau and the rest of Le-Koro, and while the village was particularly well known for antics, parties, and general tom-foolery...

Nobody was ever fully prepared for Takua's posse...

"Kongu, are you SURE this is a good idea?"

Jaller made sure to put extra emphasis on the implicated level of uncertainty he had. Sure, Kongu's plan was absolutely brilliant, but unlike Takua and Hahli – who were both gung-ho for the plan – Jaller wasn't entirely convinced it would pan out the way his high-flying dreamer of a friend expected it to.

"Of course I'm surecertain! I MADE this plan!"

A quiet cough-like sound indicated that Matoro – standing nearby with his arms crossed and expression showing his best 'game face' – wanted to make a comment. "I helped you with it, Kongu. That's the only reason you're sure it's going to work. You even told me that."

The Le-Matoran sputtered and deflated a little. "Yeah yeah okayfine you helped and that's why I'm so surecertain... but it was still my idea to do this!"

Hahli giggled as she absently glanced around, as though checking to make sure none of the adult Le-Matoran were watching or listening to them. "Keep shouting about it and we'll be busted before we even get moving, Kongu. This is a 'top secret sneaktheft mission', remember?"

While Kongu and Hahli both had giggle fits over her mimicry of treespeaking, Takua spoke up, just loud enough that the others would be able to hear him. "Alright, let's go over the plan one last time. We're gonna climb up on Turaga Matau's roof, wait until Elder Hlahlu puts that pie thing on the window sill, and then we're gonna steal it and eat it, right?"

Three voices – Kongu's, Hahli's, and Jaller's – chorused a rather cheerful 'yep!', clearly driven by the idea of baked sweets being all theirs. Matoro, however, shook his head a little. "I think you forgot the stuff I said about NOT going on the roof to get it, Takua. There's too many ways we could totally fail this if we try hanging off the roof to grab the pie. Being on the walkway by the window is a much safer bet, and we'd be less likely to drop the-"

Kongu waved a hand in his usual, energetic way, as though to bat the logical remarks aside. "Nah, we'd be too quickspotted if we were on the deckfloor. If we're on the highroof we're not gonna get seespotted as eversoon!"

Matoro raised a pale eyebrow at that. "You say that as if you expected to get caught." He shook his head and smiled a little. "If we stick to what I suggested, we should be just fine. Even Turaga Matau admitted that Dad's great at thinking ahead, and Mom said I got my thinky stuff from Dad. So there."

Takua squished his way between Kongu and Matoro, grinning brightly as he put an arm around their shoulders. "Here's an idea you two. We try Kongu's idea first, and if that doesn't work, we try Matoro's idea next time there's a pie to be had. That way we can make both of you happy."

Matoro frowned a little. "But if we just went with my plan, we wouldn't have to try the haphazard and illogical strategy that Kongu wants to try and employ." He paused a moment before chirping quietly, and adding as an afterthought. "But fine. I want that pie, and if we don't get it, I get to say 'I told you so'. Fair?"

The future Chronicler grinned and nodded. "You got it Matoro. Now enough planning; we got us a pie to swipe!"

Several minutes of climbing and likely unnecessarily loud theatrics later, and the five children were all sprawled flat on the roof of Turaga Matau's house, Jaller pressing his ear to the sticks beneath them to listen for any hint that their game was up. "She's walking around in the kitchen right now." He whispered loudly. "I'll betcha she's gonna put it in the window any minute now."

"As long as she didn't hear us come up here." Hahli added with a faint laugh of her own. "I heard she's a fast climber."

"Pshaw." Kongu said with a small grin. "We're everquicker than her, I'm surecertain."

Matoro and Takua glanced at the others for a moment, then at each other, and shook their heads a little. It was up to them to do the actual pie swiping, meaning that Matoro was going to be the one dangling Takua down off the edge of the roof, while Takua was going to do the actual pie-grabbing. But with the chattering going on, there was no knowing just how quickly things could backfire. Matoro opened his mouth to comment something, only to blink as he and the others heart Hlahlu's voice loudly comment from inside. "Is... is someone outside?"

Thinking fast, Matoro quickly let out several chirps and whistles, determined to make sure she thought there was just a bird outside. A couple tense seconds followed, but eventually Jaller lifted his arm and gave a thumbs up, as though to indicate that they'd gotten out of that bind very narrowly. He then shot Kongu and Hahli a look and made a 'shh!' noise at them.

Takua grinned and gave Matoro a thumbs up for his quick thinking before leaning over and looking down at the window sill again, the sounds of footsteps soon becoming audible near it. Matoro quickly grabbed hold of Takua's ankles, ready to move into action as their glorious, golden prize was set out to finish cooling. It was mere seconds before the glorious scent of baked mekiki and sugar wafted up towards the children, Takua practically drooling as he grinned eagerly, his little hands already ready to grab the pie as soon as it was in range. Even as this happened, the other children moved closer to watch, peering over the edge excitedly as – after listening to hear footsteps leave the window – Matoro started to lower Takua down to the window...

Only for their sticky prize to be swiped back inside, and Takua's little arms grabbed by hands that were definitely NOT Hlahlu's. Yelping in alarm, Matoro found himself letting go, Takua dropping into the ready and waiting arms of Turaga Matau as he practically flopped out of the window, grinning impishly up at the kids even as he caught Takua and pulled him into the house, where – judging by the sudden laughter – he proceeded to tickle the trouble maker mercilessly.

"Busted..." Matoro whined in exasperation. "And I really wanted that pie... I TOLD you this wasn't gonna work!"

"Well," a different voice commented from on the roof behind them. "perhaps it would be easier for you to get away with your antics if you didn't giggle and climb so wildly."

The kids on the roof all turned to stare in alarm at the woman who now stood on the roof, her hands on her hips and her apron still on. "E-Elder Hlahlu?!"

The woman laughed as she studied them. "Yes, me. And if you lot actually want a piece of that pie, we'd better get into the house before the Turaga gets his hands on it again. It was everything I could do to stop him from stealing it the moment I had it out of the oven."

Four faces went from startled to eager and hopeful, Jaller gasping in delight. "We... we still get pie? Really?"

"Well I don't go and make pie like that for no reason." Hlahlu teased, walking over and starting to gently haul the kids to their feet. "C'mon, let's get you lot inside where you belong. I still gotta get you hyped out on sugar before you have to go home."

The eruption of giggles on the roof was only matched in vibrancy by the glowing expression on Matoro's face. He didn't get to have Hlahlu's pie often. And now he was going to get some. By the sounds of it, he'd get enough that he'd be set until the next time he visited. With a broad grin on his face, he looked at Kongu and piped. "Ya know, your idea worked better than I thought it would. We DEFINITELY have to try this again sometime."

The other boy grinned back. "Oh we will. I trueheart promise."

"Me too."


End file.
